The Columbia Theatre opened on November 29, 1922, with 1,732 seats and a construction cost of $350,000 (about $6 million today). It was built by the Columbia Amusement Company, which also operated theaters in Warren, Erie, and Salamanca. Architect Arland W. Johnson of New York City designed it as a true vaudeville palace—complete with a marble staircase, full stage, orchestra pit, seven dressing rooms, and elaborate plasterwork throughout the auditorium.

Originally attached to the Morgan Grand Building, the Columbia was technically a three-sided structure built behind it. That building—once an opera house itself—contained the Columbia’s lobby and entryway. In 1981, the Morgan Grand burned down, but a firewall saved the Columbia from total destruction, limiting the damage to smoke and water. The loss of the lobby, however, left the theater functionally decapitated.

The first effort to save the Columbia dates back to 1978, but things really started moving after the 1981 fire. A nonprofit called Columbia Theatre Inc. was formed in 1982 and briefly leased the building to begin cleaning and stabilization. That same year, the original chandelier and other valuable interior elements were removed by the former owner before the property was lost to a tax sale. On the theater’s 62nd anniversary in 1984, Sharon native and Lettermen frontman Tony Butala bought the building for $10,500. He later co-founded the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, which purchased the Columbia again—ironically, for the same price—in 2002.

Between the late ’80s and early 2000s, volunteers and artisans made serious progress. A new roof was installed. A plywood platform was built at ceiling height so the auditorium’s dome and plaster ceiling could be completely restored. Dozens of ornamental castings were recreated by hand. More than 100 tons of debris were removed with help from a local work-release program.

But real public support never materialized. Grant promises fell through. A full-time executive director was hired in the ’90s, but a shift in focus toward children’s programming—often hosted in inadequate off-site venues—led to internal divisions. The board ultimately voted to walk away from the building and shift its attention to producing events rather than restoring the theater itself.

As of now, the Columbia still lacks HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and a functioning stage. Seating was reduced from its original 1,732 to 1,684, and any future renovation would likely bring it down further to around 1,400–1,500. The remaining structure includes the auditorium, a shallow open lobby behind it, and backstage dressing rooms—most of which would need a complete gut renovation to be usable. The entrance hall, lost in the 1981 fire, is now a public park.

In 2004, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame abruptly relocated its entire collection into the unheated Columbia auditorium following a dispute with its landlord. At the time, they suggested reopening in the space, but by then it was estimated that over $1 million would be needed just to bring the building up to code for basic public occupancy.